Red oil light flashing, 3 beeps, won't start

dingosnack

Guest
Hi all,

Please bear with me as this is my first post. About three days ago I went to start my car but it wouldn't start. Its a 2003 Seat Ibiza. The red oil light flashes and it beeps three times. After searching on these forums, I thought this was related to the coolant level which I topped up but I couldn't find the prongs to give them a scrape. It is now in the garage, where it has been for 2 days but they can't seem to detect the problem. Their diagnostic computer came up with nothing, they cleaned the prongs which didn't work and a new cam centre (i think thats what he said). Nothing is working! Any help would be greatly appreciated :)
 
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dingosnack

Guest
I've checked oil and that's fine. It's a 1.2l engine. It tries to start but won't fire up - the spark plugs are sparking and the battery is fine. The garage tried a new oil pressure switch today but no luck. They reckon the next step is a new crank sensor but they can't get hold of one til Wednesday with all the bank holidays. What do you think? It was fine at 10pm the night before, then at 8am the following morning it wouldn't work. It was -11 overnight so could it be to do with that?
 

andycupra

status subject to change
forget coolant sensor for now as this wont effect starting of the engine.

Is it definately the oil light that flashing. - i appreciate this might seem a silly question but many people get the coolant gauge and oil lights mixed up.
 

chrisRibiza

Active Member
Sep 27, 2007
1,194
51
Mines done this before, the oil light on the middle panel between the speedo and rev counter beeps and flashes.

It has only happened when the car has been low on petrol so I've push started it and filled it with petrol and it's been fine.
 

Disco_Biscuit

Ibiza Cupra Tdi PD200
Jul 8, 2007
175
0
If it cranks over for a bit and doesn't fire the oil light will beep and flash, if its a 1.2 chances are the timing chain has jumped.
 

tara1990

Active Member
Oct 28, 2015
3
0
I know it's been a long time since this post was commented on, but I wondered if you'd ever managed to find out what the problem was with your Seat? Mine is doing the exact same thing, turning over but not starting, although this is only happening intermittently.

I've tried AA's diagnostics, the local garages diagnostics and I've even bought myself a diagnostic machine to see if I could find the problem but nothing comes up on any of them.

Any suggestions would be appreciated as I'm pulling my hair out at the moment! :(
 

MW05

Active Member
Oct 18, 2015
120
14
This is why I stick to diesel engines. So much more simple.
My last car, an Ibiza SDi developed a starting problem. Actually the scum who sold me the car sold it with the problem...
The immobiliser would sometimes not stop immobilising and then often when the weather was warm, or it had been left in the sun, it would start but then immobilise itself while driving along.
Once I'd worked out what the problem was, I attached a wire to the fuel shut off solenoid with a ring crimp and bared about two inches at the other and when it conked out or wouldn't start I wrapped the bare end around the buzz bar on the positive side of the battery.
I eventually fitted an illuminated switch in the car below the handbrake handle so I didn't have to keep fumbling about under the bonnet.
I was going to fit a relay which would take a feed from the ignition, but the loom is all wrapped and I couldn't be bothered to pick at it to expose an ignition wire.
 
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